Who is the most exciting youngster at West Ham United? Who is their worst manager and their worst striker of the Premier League era? And what position do the Hammers need to strengthen the most in the January transfer window?
We at Hammers News asked the questions, and you responded in your droves.
Player of the Season – Mateus Fernandes, 32%
In truth, West Ham United are not exactly overloaded with candidates for this particular category.
Imagine a Best Picture category made up entirely of Michael Bay films, and you get the idea. Someone’s gotta win it, though, and our Hammers News readers have voted narrowly in favour of Mateus Fernandes.
While Jarrod Bowen has found goals relatively hard to come by, while Lucas Paqueta ‘sums up’ West Ham’s timid displays, the £40 million signing from Southampton is one of very few outfield players to perform with any kind of consistency or class.
Freddie Potts comes in second with 29 per cent of the vote. Perhaps, if Fernandes’ midfield partner had not had to wait until November to start a Premier League match, he’d have earned a bigger share. A special mention, meanwhile, to Alphonse Areola’s response following an error-strewn 2024/25.
Nuno credits Areola with fixing West Ham’s set-piece problems. If it wasn’t for the Frenchman’s feline reactions, the Hammers might have even fewer than their miserly tally of 13 points.
When we run this poll again in April and May, Areola might very well be the frontrunner. Although, hopefully, West Ham will not need to lean on him so heavily in the New Year.
Most exciting youngster – Mohamadou Kante, 57%
Because we left Freddie Potts, George Earthy and Callum Marshall off this list – the trio have made over 200 appearances combined for club and country – the £500,000 signing from Paris FC stormed to victory in the manner he tends to storm through opposition midfields at Under-21 level.
Mohamadou Kante keeps being compared to Patrick Vieira. If he goes on to enjoy even a fraction of the success of the Arsenal icon, this will prove to be one of the most inspired signings in West Ham’s modern history.
Kante set himself a target of 20 goal contributions during his debut season in East London. He currently has eight. But, following brief first-team outings against Manchester United and Aston Villa, Kante might not be sticking around with the Under-21s long enough to hit that magic number.
Nutmeg king Preston Fearon comes in at a distant second – even captain Jarrod Bowen calls Fearon a ‘special’ talent – while youth-team skipper Airidas Golambeckis enters in third place. The prolific Josh Landers is one to watch too, alongside the swashbuckling assist-king Emeka Adiele.
Adiele’s statistics speak for themselves. He averages an assist every other game for the Under-21s.
Which West Ham youngster are you most EXCITED about and why? 🌱
And who is the club's best-ever academy graduate?
West Ham’s worst striker – Benni McCarthy, 27 per cent
Does anyone know the opposite of ‘recency bias’? Because Niclas Fullkrug very nearly ran away with this most unwanted of awards. As AC Milan close in on a deal for Fullkrug, West Ham are expected to make a 50 per cent loss on the Germany international, frustration regarding a very typical transfer flop went into overdrive.
It is no coincidence that a few of West Ham’s most underwhelming centre-forwards follow the same vein. Ageing, probably past their best, and unable to live up to eye-watering wages. Benni McCarthy, for instance, reportedly earned £60,000-a-week at Upton Park and was awarded a £1.5 million pay-off when his contract was terminated.
Fullkrug at least scored a handful of goals. Well, three fingers’ worth. That is three more than McCarthy managed in just 14 appearances.
“Benni McCarthy was a big fat mistake,” vice-chair Karren Brady would write in a blistering Sun column, use of the word ‘fat’ less metaphorical than the former Blackburn striker would have liked.
“West Ham were in desperate haste for a striker to help avoid relegation – again – and we bought him for more than £2 million. Rather than the super scorer we hoped for, we acquired a super size. A player devoted to filling his belly more than filling the net.
“As time went by he grew bigger and bigger and although in time he made a great effort to slim down, he’d passed the waistline of no return. The overall cost to us [was] more than £5 million.”
Dream striker signing – Ivan Toney, 75%
Unsurprisingly, given that this is a proven Premier League goalscorer and a seasoned England international we are talking about, Ivan Toney won in a landslide when we asked Hammers News readers to name their ideal Niclas Fullkrug replacement with about six weeks of 2025 remaining.
The problem is, Toney does not appear as keen on West Ham as they are on him. The Brentford icon is keen to stay in Saudi Arabia despite the fact his World Cup ambitions appear to be hanging by a thread.
West Ham had a bid for Kaio Jorge rejected last week, according to claims from Brazil. They reportedly offered Cruzeiro a loan-to-buy deal worth up to £21 million.
Roma are in pole position for Joshua Zirkzee, Endrick is leaving Real Madrid for Lyon, Promise David remains committed to Union Saint-Gilloise, and Chelsea have already signed Emanuel Emegha. Al-Hilal rebuffed a West Ham approach for Marcos Leonardo, too.
West Ham fans may have to make peace with the idea of Zan Vipotnik arriving from second-tier Swansea City instead, then. Hammers News can confirm that Head of Technical Recruitment and Analysis Max Hahn has selected Vipotnik as his number one pick.
Which position should West Ham prioritise – striker, 68%
Despite the growing fury aimed towards a certain £40 million centre-back – seriously, Max Kilman has to be removed if West Ham are to have any hope of survival – a goalscorer rather than a goalstopper remains the priority for most of a claret and blue persuasion.
Fortunately, as we mentioned above, West Ham have a lot of names on their wishlist. Unfortunately, Santa’s shelves appear pretty bare right now.
22 per cent of you still want a centre-half, though, and we do have some good news. Hammers News can confirm that West Ham remain in talks to sign Charlie Cresswell, Toulouse’s Preston-born giant.
West Ham’s worst manager – Avram Grant, 40%
Who is West Ham’s worst manager in the Premier League era and why?
What does Nuno have to do to avoid joining this list?
Now, Avram Grant had a slight advantage over Graham Potter in a two-horse race for this very unwelcome footballing Razzie.
Grant actually did bring relegation to East London. Potter, of course, was denied the opportunity to do the same when West Ham pulled the plug.
“You can say what you want about the West Ham board, the one thing they are is they are very loyal to the managers. Sometimes it goes on a bit too long!,” Hammers legend Tony Cottee told talkSPORT as his old club made a start worse even than in Grant’s miserable 2010/11 campaign.
“Avram Grant was the prime example. He should have gone and they got relegated at the end of the season!”
Welsh colossus James Collins believes the Julen Lopetegui appointment was the moment when West Ham’s decline really began. He comes in third, ahead of the late Glenn Roeder.
And please, do not force us to utter Nuno Espirito Santo’s name in the same breath a few months from now…
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